Murasaki Shikibu

Lore & Background

Murasaki Shikibu was born c. 973 in Heian-kyō, Japan, into the northern Fujiwara clan descending from Fujiwara no Yoshifusa, the first 9th century Fujiwara regent. Her branch of the family had declined to the middle to lower ranks of the aristocracy—the level of provincial governors. Despite Heian women being traditionally excluded from learning Chinese, the written language of government, Murasaki was raised in her erudite father's household and showed a precocious aptitude for the Chinese classics, managing to acquire fluency. In her diary she wrote, 'When my brother ... was a young boy learning the Chinese classics, I was in the habit of listening to him and I became unusually proficient at understanding those passages that he found too difficult to understand and memorize. Father, a most learned man, was always regretting the fact: "Just my luck," he would say, "What a pity she was not born a man!"' She married in her mid-to-late twenties to Fujiwara no Nobutaka, a much older second cousin and court functionary at the Ministry of Ceremonials, and gave birth to a daughter, Kenshi (Kataiko), in 999. Her husband died two years later during a cholera epidemic. It is uncertain when she began writing *The Tale of Genji*, but it was probably while she was married or shortly after she was widowed. In about 1005, she was invited to serve as a lady-in-waiting to Empress Shōshi at the Imperial court by Fujiwara no Michinaga, probably because of her reputation as a writer. She continued to write during her service, adding scenes from court life to her work. After five or six years, she left court and retired with Shōshi to the Lake Biwa region. Scholars differ on the year of her death; although most agree on 1014, others have suggested she was alive in 1025.

Reader's Guide

Murasaki Shikibu's significance lies in her authorship of *The Tale of Genji*, a work widely regarded as one of the world's first novels. Written in Japanese between about 1000 and 1012, it reflects Heian court society at its peak. Within a decade of its completion, *Genji* was distributed throughout the provinces; within a century it was recognized as a classic of Japanese literature and became a subject of scholarly criticism. Between 1925 and 1933, *The Tale of Genji* was published in English. Murasaki also wrote *The Diary of Lady Murasaki* and a volume of poetry. Since the 13th century, her works have been illustrated by Japanese artists and well-known ukiyo-e woodblock masters. Scholars continue to recognize the importance of her work, which reflects Heian court society at its peak. According to legend, Murasaki retreated to Ishiyama-dera at Lake Biwa, where she was inspired to write *The Tale of Genji* on an August night—though this detail is not confirmed by the source as fact.

Did You Know?

• Murasaki Shikibu's personal name is unknown, but she may have been Fujiwara no Kaoruko, mentioned in a 1007 court diary as an imperial lady-in-waiting.
• She learned classical Chinese by listening to her brother's lessons, and her father lamented, 'What a pity she was not born a man!'
• Her husband, Fujiwara no Nobutaka, died of cholera two years after their marriage, leaving her a widow with a daughter.
• Within a decade of its completion, *The Tale of Genji* was distributed throughout the provinces; within a century it was a classic of Japanese literature.
• Between 1925 and 1933, *The Tale of Genji* was published in English.